Japan - The Japanese Government has committed additional funds to support IOM’s operations in the face of increasingly complex humanitarian crises.

From its “supplementary budget FY2014,” the Japanese Government will avail a total of US$31.5 million to support IOM activities for vulnerable migrants, internally displaced persons, returnees and affected communities.

With the support of Internews, a disability rights organization in Somalia begins to collaborate with the media to enhance its work.

“I feel more confident about approaching the media now. I came to realize that journalists are not as I imagined,” commented Mohamed Ali Farah, director and co-founder of the Somali Disability Empowerment Network (SODEN) after attending Internews’ training on media literacy. His organization works to raise public awareness and understanding of disabilities.

• The local authorities and community elders estimated that the total population in Afgooye district is 134,892 people (22,484 households) while 102,000 people (17,000 households) live in the town. UNDP (2005) estimated the population of Afgooye town at 21,602 people.

The Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) was conducted over the period from February until June 2014 with the aim of obtaining a better understanding of the situation, needs, risks, capacities and vulnerabilities of asylum seekers and refugees with regards to their food and nutrition security as well as livelihood opportunities, and providing recommendations for the next 6 to 12 months. This JAM report aims to provide information for programming through the design of a joint -programme cycle for UN agencies and their partners under the coordination of the Government of Zimbabwe.

Number of Syrian new arrivals has been steadily decreasing since April 2014

Number of Iraqi new arrivals slowly increased; approximately 100 people are being registered on a daily basis. From 17 – 21 August alone, there were over 550 newly registered Iraqis. Iraqis can still access Jordan through legal borders, and 66 per cent of these newly registered had arrived one month earlier. The new arrivals mainly hail from Baghdad, Ninewa, Anbar and Salahedine.

Mogadishu, 11 September 2014 - People with Disabilities in Mogadishu have today made an appeal to fellow citizens in Somalia to bring to an end all acts of conflict, as they sought to highlight their plight.

According to the Somali Disability Empowerment Network (SODEN), there are an estimated 30,000 people living with disability (PWD) in Mogadishu.

A section of the people living with disability participated in a dialogue in which they discussed the challenges they have endured during the many years of war in Somalia and the importance of peace in their lives.

Libya: Concern is growing for the increasing number of people affected by crisis since mid-July, as violence persists, rival governments are failing to assure basic services, and most humanitarian organisations have withdrawn.

Central African Republic: The CAR President Catherine Samba-Panza named a Muslim as the new Prime Minister. Renewed clashes have displaced 20,000 people in Batafango (Ouham) since July and 17,000 people in Bambari (Ouaka) since June. A total of 890 security incidents were recorded in 2014, hampering humanitarian access.

In 2013 UNMAS made the world safer. Whether it was through spearheading humanitarian mine action in Afghanistan and Mali, assisting United Nations deployment in the Central African Republic, completing the landmine survey of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, attaining agreements to demine in the West Bank or building secure weapons storage facilities in Libya, the lead United Nations entity on explosives hazards saved lives.

Kenya has been providing protection and lifesaving assistance to refugees since the 1960s. During the 1990s major influxes were witnessed from Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. While returns took place as the situation improved in places of origin for Sudanese to South Sudan and Ethiopians to Ethiopia, a significant number of refugees remained and continue to be hosted in Kenya. As well, 2011 saw an unprecedented influx of Somalis as a result of drought and insecurity in their homeland.

Kampala, the capital of Uganda has been a habitat for refugees from the great lakes region for several decades. While all refugees suffer the effects of forced migration, female refugees continue to experience exceptional suffering.

In 2013, Refugee Law Project through the Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing Program carried out a study on the psychosocial challenges faced by female refugees in Kampala among 153 women and girls.

Central African Republic: Renewed clashes between anti-balaka and Seleka fighters occurred in several locations in central, northern, and southwestern provinces. MISCA soldiers are being redeployed to cover areas previously secured by the Chadian contingent. A Christian religious leader was killed and four were abducted in two northern towns, while 30 Christian civilians were reportedly killed in a central town.

Syria: Violence is intensifying in Damascus, with increased attacks from both the Government and the opposition. In Aleppo, fighting between Syrian troops and opposition fighters is causing further casualties. In the east, infighting between rival opposition factions has led to a reinforcement of Iraqi troops’ positions on the Iraqi side of the border. To date, over nine million people are in need of assistance, and more than 2.6 million have fled the country. In early April, humanitarian assistance was allowed in besieged areas in Aleppo for the first time since June.

During the past 25 years, Forced Migration Review (FMR) has played a vital role in enabling researchers, practitioners and policymakers to exchange information and ideas on refugee-related issues. In this article, Jeff Crisp provides a personal (and alphabetical) perspective on some of the events, trends and organisations that FMR has covered over the past two and half decades.